Hot in Toronto music festival postponed after headliner Lil Wayne drops out

Rapper Lil Wayne is seen prior to an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

A major Toronto hip-hop music festival has been postponed after organizers say one of its headliners cancelled his appearance.

Rapper Lil Wayne was billed as one of the top acts at the Hot in Toronto single-day summer festival, originally slated for June 22 at Downsview Park.

But images posted by Reddit users show that the festival notified ticket holders by email last week that Lil Wayne was no longer performing. The event was postponed days later.

The festival was supposed to feature a packed lineup of other big-name artists, including Akon, 2 Chainz, T-Pain, Lil Jon, Fabolous and Lil' Kim.

A representative for Hot in Toronto tells The Canadian Press they are working on new festival dates and artists, while refund options will be outlined within two weeks.

Event organizer Festivals of Vaughan did not answer further questions on why Lil Wayne was unable to perform, and the artist's manager did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hot in Toronto's postponement, first reported by CityNews, comes as festival organizers face another year of rising costs due to inflation.

General admission tickets for the single-day Hot in Toronto concert were listed at $240 while VIP tickets ranged from $350 to $13,500 for a booth with bottle service.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2024